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Umbra
'''Umbra' is the third planet in the Murai System, and is home to the Umbra'Nysk. Located in the Outer Rim within the Sith Empire, Umbra was unknown to the galaxy until 17 ABY. Even though the Murai System had been discovered eons ago, magnetic and gravitational anomalies kept astronomical scans from properly identifying the hidden planet. Description Umbra is the third planet of the Murai System, and is located in the Outer Rim on the outskirts of the Sith Empire. The planet is composed of various climates, including temperate and tropical forests, plains, and deserts. Approximately seventy-five percent of the planet surface is covered in water. The landmass is separated into eight continents, with two continents at the polar regions permanently encased under a sheet of ice. The majority of the planet's inhabitants are concentrated along the tropical and temperate regions, with very few, if any permanent settlements in the polar north and south. Though the majority of the planet is tectonically stable, a significant portion of the central continent smolders with volcanoes, lava beds, and other such geological formations. This area is known to the natives as the Fires of Umbra, and is home to a significant amount of mineral and metal deposits. Incidentally, this region is culturally significant to the native population, who believe the lava fields and volcanic mountains gave birth to their gods. Umbra is home to the Umbra'Nysk, a subspecies of the Ingr'Nysk species. Though they did not originate from this planet, the Umbra'Nysk were deposited several millennium ago after a hyperdrive malfunction. The survivors settled the planet and form a small but resilient population. The natural flora is incredibly diverse, including thousands of vertebrate and invertebrate species, as well as numerous examples of plant life. Of particular note is the ur'keeri, a legendary beast that typically inhabits the frozen north. These multi-limb creatures are monstrous apex predators that sometimes wonder into the more temperate southern climes. Ur'keeri play an important role in Umbra'Nysk tribal society; hunts for the beasts serve as the rite to adulthood. History Chance appears to play an important role in Umbra's history. The planet lay undiscovered for thousands of years, even though the Murai System had been cataloged long before. Gravitational fluxes hid the planet from initial scans, and because the system was not further explored, Umbra was undisturbed until a stroke of random chance led to its discovery. Thousands of years ago, early Ingr'Nysk explorers initially discovered Umbra when the hyperdrive of their vessels malfunctioned, sending the exploratory ships through a wormhole, and depositing them on the other side of the galaxy. Because their ships suffered catastrophic damage, the explorers were forced to settle the newly discovered planet. These scientists, warriors, and civilians became the first sentient population of Umbra, and as their technology began to fail, they transformed into a hunter-gatherer society. After spending several thousand years on the planet, the Ingr'Nysk evolved into a separate, but similar race, known as the Umbra'Nysk. Another flash of luck brought modern visitors to the planet. However, these visitors were not as benign as the original Ingr'Nysk, and came in the form of Black Sun smugglers and slavers who were looking for an alternate route into the Sith Empire. The Black Sun operatives landed on the planet and encountered the Umbra'Nysk. Overwhelming the natives with their superior technology, the smugglers discovered a narcotic known as Necrosia. Necrosia, refined from the spores of a local fungus, produces hallucinogenic effects and visions of the future, but when further processed, becomes a powerful combat stimulant. When the new drug became quite profitable, the crime syndicate quickly consolidated their discovery of the planet. Had Umbra's history been fictionalized, critics would claim deus ex machina when describing the circumstances of the planet's third "discovery." A Sith Marauder was led to the planet when his companion AI noticed the gravitational anomalies in the Muirai System. The pair decided to investigate and stumbled upon Umbra and the Black Sun operation, thus unfolding the next chapter of Umbra's history. Category:Balsa